NBA Power Rankings: Health the great intangible for squads like OKC Thunder

In week 20 of the NBA power rankings, the OKC Thunder are among several teams dealing with health issues. Here’s how the teams rank.

Health is the biggest issue at this time of the season both in terms of getting stars and core players as healthy as possible while also trying to avoid major injuries heading into the playoffs. In week 20 of action, the OKC Thunder took multiple hits as they dealt with stiff competition while missing Paul George for a few games which resulted in losses.

Every squad has banged up players – it’s part and parcel for this time of year. And while many of the top teams have dealt with health adversity over the entire season, it factors larger down the stretch. Just ask the Rockets (Chris Paul) or the Raptors (Fred VanVleet) how losing a player or having one far less than 100 percent healthy can derail your postseason plans.

With this thought in mind consider how much heavy lifting went on the shoulders of James Harden and Russell Westbrook while their running mates were out injured.

The 76ers managed to keep their heads above the home court seeding line but the team paled in comparison to who they can be as a squad without their big man Joel Embiid in the mix. During his eight-game absence, the 76ers played .500 ball which only served to highlight roster depth is still an issue.

Then there are clubs like the Raptors, Pacers, and Nets who have navigated copious lost man games due to injury and won in spite of the adversity. Toronto has utilized 18 different iterations of the starting lineup and surpassed their injury total from last year by mid-season. In fact, the Raptors have only had a fully healthy lineup on two occasions this season. Unlike the 76ers who struggled without Embiid, Toronto is 14-5 without Leonard.

Week 20 marks the two-thirds mark of the season with six weeks remaining (technically five and a half weeks) of regular season game action. For the OKC Thunder, their rankings are based on games played versus the Nuggets, 76ers, Spurs, and Grizzlies. In week 21 the Thunder hit the road to face the Wolves, with a back to back set against the Blazers and Clippers.

This week the typical stats are noted with emphasis again on the stretch run and associated schedules. Each team ranking notes how many games remain versus top ten offenses and defenses as well as clubs with records above .500.

Let’s do it!